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SC/65a/BRG12
BRIEF RESULTS OF GRAY WHALE ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS RESEARCH OFF
CHUKOTKA, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, 2012
Sergey A. Blokhin, Dennis I. Litovka, Andrey V. Vinnikov
1 – TINRO-Center, Shevchenko Alley, 4, Vladivostok, RUSSIA, 690950
2 – Chukotka branch of TINRO-Center, PO Box #29, Otke Str., 56, Anadyr, Chukotka, RUSSIA,
689000
E-mails: s.a.blokhin@mail.ru; d-litovka@yandex.ru; kamchatka62@mail.ru
ABSTRACT
Totally in 2012 from May to December 141 gray whales were landed in Chukotka. The largest
number of 63 whales was landed in the native village of Lorino (Mechigmensky bay). In June and
September, scientists investigated 23 gray whales caught in the Mechigmensky bay.
Both the first (May, 22) and the last gray whales (December, 4) were caught in the village of
Sireniki. In the sex structure the females were dominating (64%) with average size of 9.9 m. The
average size of males was 10.2 meters. In the Mechigmensky bay females also dominated (60.9%),
the basis of which was sub-adults (78.5%). Roughly the general ratio of mature and immature of
harvested whales was equal. 3/5 of examined whales had a size between 7.6 and 9.5 m, the average
size of harvested females was 9.7 m and males – 10.4 m. The maximum length of a whale was 13.2
m, and the lowest – 7.7 m. More than a half of whales (67%) had complete or half-full stomachs.
The highest body condition index registered with yearlings (1.24÷1.43%) and the immature
animals with 1+ age had the lowest (0.78%). There were no “stinky” gray whales in the
Mechigmensky bay, however, during the 2012 whaling season the total number of six “stinky”
whales with strong medical smell and taste were landed in Chukotka, which were unusable and
excluded from the quota.
An immature 7.7 meters long female of gray whale with traces of milk in an almost empty
stomach was landed in the Mechigmensky bay at June 15, 2013. Despite this the native hunters
evidenced that it was not escorted by female, which prove that the whale has moved to independent
feeding.
From June to August 40 coastal counts of gray whales were conducted using an observation
point at the Mechigmensky bay coast, and the average of 7-8 gray whales were recorded during one
observation.
Key words: Gray whale, distribution, number, harvest, sex-age and size structure,
physiological state, body condition index
TINRO Center (Vladivostok) and ChukotTINRO (Anadyr) in 2012 continued collecting a
biostatistical material from the gray whales harvested by the Native hunters off the Chukotka
Peninsula (Chukotka, Russia). The aim of this work is to determine the demographic and
spatial structure and the feeding conditions of whales in the Mechigmensky Bay (north-east
coast of the Chukchi Peninsula).
In addition, in 2012, the coastal counts of gray whales in the Mechigmensky Bay was
continued, the purpose of which was to detect changes in the local abundance and distribution
of animals in this area.
From June, 23 till August, 15 the total of 40 Gray whale counts were conducted from
observation point in Mechigmensky bay (Figure) by traditional methodic (Blokhin, et al., 2012).
In 2012, the Department of Industrial and Agricultural Policy Chukotka distributed the
Federal permit to hunt gray whales (140 animals per year) between 20 Native villages of
Chukotka (Figure, Table 1-2). However, due to various reasons the Native whalers from seven
villages did not get any whale. The first and the latest whale in 2012 was landed in the village
of Syreniki (May 22 and December 4 respectively). Totally 141 strikes on gray whales were
made, 4 attempts were struck-and-lost and 137 whales were landed. The largest number of
whales were hunted by the biggest Chukotka Native village Lorino (63 or 46.3%), the second
was the village of Inchoun - 15 or 11.0% (Figure, Table 2).
In 2012 the Native hunters of 13 villages 88 females (64%) and 49 (males 36%) were
landed with an average size of 9.9 and 10.2 m, respectively.
Among gray whales harvested in the Mechigmen bay females slightly predominated
(60.9%), the basis of which (78.5%) were immatures. The ratio of mature and immature
animals of harvested males were roughly equal.
An immature 7.7 meters long female of gray whale with traces of milk in an almost empty
stomach was landed in the Mechigmensky bay at June 15, 2013. Despite this the native hunters
evidenced that it was not escorted by female, which prove that the whale has moved to
independent feeding.
More than a half (60.8%) examined the whales had a size between 7.6 to 9.5 m. The
average size of harvested females was slightly smaller than males from 9.7 to 10.4 m,
respectively. The largest whale had a body length of 13.2, and the lowest - 7.7 m.
More than a half of whales (67%) had complete or half-full stomachs. The highest body
condition index registered with yearlings (1.24÷1.43%) and the immature animals with 1+ age
had the lowest (0.78%).
There were no “stinky” gray whales in the Mechigmensky bay, however, during the 2012
whaling season the total number of six “stinky” whales with strong medical smell and taste
were landed in Chukotka, which were unusable, therefore excluded from the quota and
annihilated.
Seven gray whales (30.4 %) had a chest or flukes injury, or/and scratches left by the killer
whale teeth.
In June-August, 2012, in the Mechigmensky bay waters (Fig. 1) we have seen 7.5 whales
per a count in average. Throughout the study period the number of whales in the waters of
inspectable was not constant. Maximum sightings of 20 whales at a time were noticed in July,
8 and 27. Distribution of whales in the bay was uneven. More than half of registered animals
(64%) were kept at a distance of 6-10 km from the coast.
Approximately half (54.2%) of the observed animals were kept individually. Distinct
groups of 3 or more individuals were recorded.
The behavior of the whales in the bay are characterized by common features. Animals
during the observation of them, usually held at about the same place, making rhythmic dives
and showing flukes.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank to the management of MUE "Keper" (Lorino), represented by its
director Alexei Ottoy for his invaluable assistance in collecting the material. Many thanks to
the chief specialist of the Department of Industrial and Agricultural Policy Chukotka (Anadyr)
Yegor Vereshchagin for the presented data on the total harvest of the gray whale coastal
villages in Chukotka in 2012.
Figure - Native whaling villages of Chukotka in 2012, observation water area and observation
sectors in the Mechigmensky Bay (Blokhin, Litovka, IWC 2009-2011)
Table 1. Morpho-physiology of grey whales, studied in Mechigmensky bay, June-August 2012
Blubber thicknes
##
Date Sex Length, m Ad/Subad Age,
years см % Stomach fullness
1 June-7 M 12.2 adult 9 0.74 Half
2 June-8 M 12.2 adult 11 0.90 Half
3 June-13
F 12.6 pregnant 13 14 1.11 few
4 June-15
F 12.9 adult 43 12 0.93 full
5 June-15
F 7.7 subadult 1 11 1.43 empty
6 June-27
M 12.4 adult 10 0.81 few
7 June-28
M 11.5 adult 10 0.87 few
8 July-9 F 13.2 adult 29 13.5
1.02 few
9 July-13 F 8.8 subadult 2 7.5 0.85 full
10
July-13 M 12 adult 10 0.83 full.
11
July-30 F 8.6 subadult 2 10 1.16 full
12
July-30 M 8.6 subadult 2 12 1.40 full
13
July-31 F 9.5 subadult 3 8 0.84 Half
14
July-31 F 8.9 subadult 3 7 0.79 Half
15
Aug-1 M 7.9 subadult 1 11 1.39 Half
16
Aug-2 F 9 subadult 3 7.5 0.83 Half
17
Aug-3 F 8.5 subadult 1 10 1.18 Half
18
Aug-7 F 8.6 subadult 1 11.5
1.34 Half
19
Aug-8 F 10.4 subadult 4 8.5 0.82 few
20
Aug-9 F 8.1 subadult 1 10 1.23 few
21
Aug-9 M 8.5 subadult 1 9 1.06 few
22
Aug-23 M 8.5 subadult 2 13 1.53 no data
23
Aug-23 F 8.8 subadult 2 10.5
1.19 no data
Chukchi Sea
Vrangel Isl.
Anadyr Gulf
Bering Sea
Longa Str.
Mejnypil'gyno
Nunligran
Sireniki
New-Chaplino
Ynrakynnot
Lorino
Enurmino
Neshkan
Nutepel'men
Vankarem
Ryrkijpij
Billings
Uel'kal
Konergino
Enmelen
Khatyrka
Egvekinot
Lavrentia
Uelen
Inchoun
C. Navarin
171
65 30
65 00
C. Kriguygun
Lorino
Mechigmenskiy Gulf
C. Nyg chigen
1
2
3
4
5
172
E
C
W
C. Holiuskin
Chukchi Sea
Anadyr Gulf
о. Св. Лаврентия
Bering Sea
Table 2 – Number of grey whales, landed to Native villages of Chukotka, 2012
## Native villages # of whales
1 Neshkan 5
2 Enurmino 7
3 Inchoun 15
4 Uelen 10
5 Lavrentia 10
6 Lorino 63
7 Yanrakynnot 2
8 New-Chaplino 10
9 Syreniki 6
10 Nunligran 2
11 Enmelen 5
12 Uel'kal' 1
13 Khatyrka 1
Total 137
Table 3 – Sex-age structure of gray whales, caught in Mechigmensky bay, 2012
Ave size, meters Ave age, years
Number % Subadults,
% all subad adults
all subad adults
Females 14 60.9
78.5 9.7 8.8 13.1 7.7 2.1 28.3
Males 9 39.1
44.4 10.4 8.4 12.1 9.6 1.5 16
In total
23 100 65.2 10 8.7 12.4 8.4 1.9 20.6
Note: *- from adults, **- without adults
